I was introduced to Ross’s work when I was working toward my nutrition degree and was assigned the task of finding a popular book about approaches to diet and write a paper about it. I chose The Diet Cure, Ross’s first book. Years later my dear friend, a talented NLP practitioner and Theta healer named Jillian O’Hara, recommended The Mood Cure based on her own experiences with it.. I remembered how impressive The Diet Cure was and added The Mood Cure to my TBR tower.

There are six pages of notes written in my book journal from while I was reading this book. I’ve added notes to handouts I give to clients directly quoting Ross’s work. This book is worth reading if you or someone you care for is trying to balance their moods, even if I didn’t agree with every point Ross made. For example, I thought a deeper analysis of liver function was needed before implementing amino acid therapy and I don’t depend on animal-sourced protein the way she does. Protein is definitely a key, but I believe that it can be plant-based if you eat complete proteins or combine them, like beans and rice. I’ve seen too much animal protein create new problems.

Everyone in a position of helping others with nutrition should read this book.

This review is of the ebook edition, published in 2002.

Highlights of the book are:

Evaluation of symptoms including a deeper dive into remedies.

A timeline for when you should see improvement from the remedy.

Specifics about supplementing with amino acids.

How low-calorie diets and skipped meals can quickly reduce vital serotonin-making supplies.

Informative charts. I saw the same charts in the paperback version and they were much easier to read there than in the ebook version.

Non-meat sources of tryptophan.

Which nutrients you need to take in for consistent neurotransmitter function.

Information about light therapy.

Chapter 13 is an exceptional approach to chronic pain and can improve daily life with simple changes.

Ross backs her information with research.

Amazing bibliography, including my introduction to 7 Weeks to Sobriety by Joan Matthews-Larson, which is easily the best book I’ve read on nutritional approaches to alcohol and substance dependency.

Recipes!

Is this book a substitute for a qualified nutrition professional? Simply put, no. We all need a trained professional to guide us through the entirety of making changes in a way that will lead to lasting results.

Reading this book will empower any reader in understanding how moods can be balanced, and that is golden.

Be sure to check out the great resources on Julia Ross’ website.

Thanks for reading,

Gina